WO-A-94/28958, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a powder inhaler (inhalator) for the inhalation of powdered drug preparations from capsules which contain the powdered preparations. The inhalator includes an assembly of a capsule holder including a capsule chamber for receiving a capsule containing the powdered preparation, the capsule chamber having an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening, a capsule opening device associated with the capsule chamber for opening a capsule within the chamber, and a finger-operable actuator for the capsule opening device. In the known inhalator, the capsule opening device includes pins which can be reciprocally moved into and out of the chamber to pierce the capsule. The inhalator further includes a mouthpiece which is arranged downstream from the air outlet opening. After the capsule has been received in the chamber and opened using the capsule opening device, the user sucks air through the capsule chamber, entraining the powder from the capsule in the airflow out of the chamber, through the mouthpiece and thence into the user's lungs. The spent capsule is discarded after use.
FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings reproduces FIG. 6 of the known inhalator, and illustrates an exploded view of such an inhalator in which an assembly of the capsule holder, the capsule opening device and the actuator for the capsule opening device (1, 8, 9, 10) is directly hinged to the mouthpiece (12, 13). The mouthpiece is thereby pivotable towards and away from the air outlet of the capsule chamber for charging and cleaning out the chamber.
The hinge element is a pin hinge system which serves as a common hinge pin (direct mutual hinging) for the assembly and the mouthpiece and serves also to hinge together the two halves of a hinged rigid outer shell including a lower shell part (6) and an upper shell part (15). The lower shell part serves to house and protect the assembly of the capsule holder, the capsule opening device and the finger-operable actuator for the capsule opening device, and the upper shell part serves to cover the mouthpiece when the inhalator is not in use.
The assembly of the capsule chamber, the capsule opening device and the finger-operable actuator for the capsule opening device can be pivoted away from the lower shell part (6), and for this purpose the rim of the lower shell part is cut away at A so that a finger button (10) of the finger-operable actuator for the capsule opening device protrudes through the lower shell part yet can still be pivoted up and away from the shell part.
This construction is complex and contains many mechanical parts. Dismantling or partially dismantling the known inhalators, for example for cleaning, is generally difficult or impossible for the average user. Cleaning around the hinge is especially difficult. Moreover, breakage of the hinge makes the whole device unusable.
It would be desirable to simplify the construction of such inhalators, and in particular to provide an inhalator that can more easily be cleaned.
Furthermore, it is inconvenient for a user to personalize their inhalator as the whole inhalator must be discarded after its useful life. It would be desirable to have an inhalator where an external part could be reused.
An inhalator having a reusable part would also enable treatment regimen recorders, prompters, calculators or other assisting devices, for example electronic devices, to be associated with the inhalator.
The present disclosure as described below provides an alternative and/or improved inhalator.